Oil pumping apparatus



y 1933- f B. OLSSON 4 2,118,568

OIL PUMPING APPARATUS Filed April 24, 1936 INVENTOR Patented May 24, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to a method and apparatus for the pumping of heavy oils and sludges. These sludges are usually extremely viscous'and stable water emulsions and resist all attempts of pumping by ordinary pumping methods. My invention especially relates to pumping such sludges that accumulate in the double bottoms of oil burning vessels.

It is to be noted that the invention provides for a cold suction intake hose, which may be conveniently handled and led into the different pockets of the honey combed bottom structure of the vessel. Also as air is continuously withdrawn from the different portions of the double bottom, the highly explosive gases which generate therein by the oil residues are most effectively removed during the pumping, and the tank is left in a gas free condition when the pumping is finished, and all danger of explosion is removed when welding, riveting or other hot work repairs are afterwards undertaken.

I have found that air sucked into the suction line by a moderate vacuum of say 15 inches as indicated on the mercury gauge, will cause the material to travel through the suction line in form of a wave or solid slug which seals the suction line during its travel therethrough.

A rapid intermittent slug formation during the pumping operation is of the utmost importance in so far as the efficiency of the operation is concerned as thereby much greater quantities of sludge can be pumped in a given time interval than is possible by a method wherein the material is emulsified with air and broken up in fine par ticles in air suspension and in which condition it is transferred through the transmission line to an overside receptacle in which a high vacuum is created.

I have succeeded in creating such a rapid slug formation by means of the use of two steam jet pumps, one of which is placed in the transmission line proper and the other is placed in a by-pass line connected to the transmission line at a point close to and in advance of the intake to the first mentioned steam jet pump.

A very essential and important feature of my invention resides in the fact that the operators are not subjected to any possibility of being scalded by a back firing through the intake of the steam introduced into the line, since such steam due to the unobstructed passage afforded by the open and downwardly directed discharge hoses, will always flow forwardly into the atmosphere. Also as the flexible and relatively slender live steam hoses are located outside the confined quarters wherein the operators are stationed, they are not subjected to any risk of being scalded or fatally injured should such steam hose burst.

While I describe my invention with special reference to the removal of sludge from the double bottom of ships for which purpose it is admirably adapted for the reasons set forth, this invention is likewise unusually applicable for the removal of sludge from the storage tanks. especially those on oil tank farms and refineries where voluminous deposits of rust scale mixed with oil sludge frequently occur. Such scale I have found is completely pulverized by the high velocity steam jets through which the material passes.

As my invention relates to a certain grouping together of known elements, and as I by this novel combination attain new .and useful results, I therefore also claim as a method the several cooperating steps required for performing my improved pumping operation.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic cross-section of an oil burning vessel showing a preferred form of apparatus removing viscous sludge from the double bottom thereof and discharging it into a slop barge moored at the side of the vessel, all in accordance with my invention;

Figures 2 and 3 show the details of my preferred twin combination or" steam jet pumps as used by me for the removal of sludge from the .30 bottoms of maritime vessels; and

Figure 4 is a detail of a modification.

In the drawing where like reference characters denote corresponding parts, i denotes the ship from the double bottom of which the viscous r material IE1 is being removed and pumped into the slop barge 2, which is shown moored at the side of the ship.

On the deck of the slop barge the boiler 3 is installed and provided with the live steam line 4, through which line the operating steam is furnished to the two jet pumps 5 and 6. The jet pumps are either of the solid jet type or the annular steam jet design with a passage for the material.

The pumps comprise a metal body provided with threaded ends to fit standard piping.

The pumps 5 and 6 are preferably located on the deck of the vessel, and are respectively provided with the discharge hoses 8 and l which are shown hanging over the ships side and led downwards into the cargo hold of the slop barge 2.

The suction end of the lower pump 8 is directly connected to the suction transmission hose 9 and the suction end of the upper pump 5 is provided with a T connection I I and twin intakes l2 which form a forked connection straddling the transmission line and lead from two laterally opposed points in the transmission line just prior to its entrance into the lower steam jet pump 6.

The modified combination shown in detail in Figure 4 discloses a check valve I3 which is inserted in the line between the intakes of the upper and the lower steam jet pumps.

The operation is as follows:The suction hose 9 is lowered down into the hold of the ship and led into the double bottom thereof which part is usually used for the storage of the fuel oil on board oil burning vessels. The pumps 5 and 6 are started and the end of the suction hose is dipped into the material to be pumped, care being taken to so hold the intake end of the transmission line that air is at all times freely admitted therein together with the pumped material.

The material is then being sucked up together with air by the moderate vacuum created by the steam jet pumps, say 15 inches as indicated on the mercury gauge. I have discovered that such a partial vacuum is not sufiiciently high to break up the material into fragments but the material will be sucked into and through the transmission line in form of a slug which is being accelerated through the transmission hose by the vacuum created by the pumps in front thereof. Now therefore the slug will possess a considerable velocity when it passes the forked intake connections l2, and. its momentum will carry the slug rapidly past said connections, without noticeable lateral deflection into the opposite upper pump connections [2, into and through the lower pump 6. The slug is thoroughly broken up into a spray by the terrific steam jet velocity during its passage through the pump 6, and the pumped material is discharged downwards through the discharge leg 2 into the cargo hold of the slop barge.

It is to be noted that the discharge leg at no time will be clogged as it does not afford any opportunity for the spray discharge to again rcassemble into a slug inside the downwards directed discharge leg. It is also to be noted that before the slug has compietely disappeared into the lower pump and while a portion thereof still remains in the suction line, the upper pump is already suck ng a new slug into and through the line, which slug will be, when the lower pump is clear, accelerated by the combined pump action and the operation repeated.

My modified pumping apparatus, shown in Figure 4 of the drawing, has a nonreturn check valve, preferably of the swing check type, inserted between the two pump intakes. This arrangement makes it possible to use a lower pump with a larger passageway for the material, and a narrow throated pump for the creation of a higher vacuum than the lower pump could suck.

It is to be noted that the suction hose can be conveniently introduced into any double bottom pocket of any size, however small, through the lightening holes of the bottom frames, and when so introduced can be conveniently manipulated by the operator inasmuch as the steam is introduced remote from the intake end of the hose and does not heat up the same to render the handling objectionable.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the specific details of construction as it is manifest that variations and modifications may be made in the adaption of the device to various conditions Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to obtain by United States Letters Patent is:

1. The method of pumping viscous material over an elevation, which comprises introducing a jet of steam into a transmission line in close proximity to the highest portion thereof, sucking up air and material to be pumped to said elevated portion, effecting the separate discharge of a substantial portion of the aspirated air from the transmission line While effecting the delivery of the material into the steam jet, blowing the material into a spray by the force of said jet and discharging this spray downwardly into the atmosphere.

2. In a pumping apparatus for viscous material, a transmission line for air and material substantially formed as an inverted U with the discharge leg directed downwards, a steam jet placed at the highest portion in the line, arranged to dis charge thereinto, and means for sucking the air out of the line at a point just in advance of said steam jet.

3. In a pumping apparatus for viscous mate-- rial a transmission line for air and material substantially formed as an inverted U with the discharge leg directed downwards, two steam jet pumps adapted to pump air and material, one placed at the highest portion in the wake of the line, arranged to discharge thereinto, and the other by-passed out of the line at a point just in advance of the intake of the first mentioned pump and having a separate discharge to the atmosphere.

BENGT OLSSON. 

